When you stand alone, as Derbyshire do, as the only county never to have reached T20 Finals Day, perhaps what you need more than ever is somebody imbued with extraordinary positive thinking, somebody who probably imagines he could also sort Brexit in the gap between innings just by an overwhelming believe that the force was with him.

Derbyshire used to have company in the list of T20 also-rans, but Worcestershire's victory in the Vitality Blast last September left them alone. They have a chance to put that right against Gloucestershire in Bristol on Saturday, and in the process reconfirm county cricket as a great democracy at a time when its future has never been more uncertain.

Proclaiming that they can do just that is Dominic Cork, installed this season as their Twenty20 coach, and a former England allrounder whose manic energy and epic sense that, whatever the situation, and sometimes whatever the evidence to the contrary, he was possessed with the magic touch was another characterful contribution to English cricket's largely unrewarding 1990s. Considering his 21-year career as a professional cricketer, including 37 Tests, it would be a surprise if he didn't have something to offer other than a sharp sense of nostalgia.

One of Cork's many roles is as a cricket analyst and there will be no more meaningful shake of the head than that provided in front of the TV cameras by his one-time England team-mate, Mark Butcher, when Cork was introduced as "Derbyshire's successful coach." Tongue-in-cheek and kindly it might have been, but it also conveyed a nonplussed response that a cricketer once held to be full of bluster - even by those who admired him - was now the reliable guiding hand behind Derbyshire's Vitality Blast challenge.

Derbyshire's season looked over against Leicestershire in mid-August when they collapsed to 24 for 6 on their own ground on the way to a 55-run defeat. With Derbyshire supporters disgruntled, Cork's first season as a specialist T20 coach (he had also served as a T20 bowling coach in 2018 under the New Zealander John Wright, a yin and yang partnership if ever there was one), looked to be heading for failure.

Instead, they won their next three matches culminating in the defeat of Lancashire, already confirmed as North Group winners, on their own ground at Old Trafford. "24 for 6" has become something of a mantra for Cork, proof that even in the depths of despair anything is possible.

"That was the sort of moment when you saw a young side trying to win a game lose all focus. I think that was the biggest kick up the backside they needed. People said there was no chance of Derbyshire getting to the quarter-finals and that 24 for 6 was a disgrace. I wasn't bothered by that even though I was hurt as a coach. Nobody came into work saying we are going to be 24 for 6 to annoy our supporters. How did we get into that position and how are we going to get better?"

Cork has supervised Derbyshire's qualification for the quarter-finals with only one overseas player - and Logan van Beek is hardly a player of world renown. Kane Richardson withdrew after he was added to Australia's World Cup squad and his replacement and fellow Australian, Billy Stanlake, was ruled out because of injury.

Perhaps that was fortunate, because the cancellation of a planned pop concert starring Rita Ora because of poor ticket sales meant they didn't really have the money anyway.

"Obviously when the club decided we couldn't afford to have anyone it was frustrating for me coming into a new job, but it helped me focus on the need to get a little bit more out of other players," Cork said. "If you are too desperate to win something, your focus is on the stat of never having been to a final. The one thing I wanted to do when I came in was to take the pressure off the players. It's a game of cricket. The sun goes down at the end of the day.

"People look at us and think we're an easy turnover. I watched Paul Franks talk about the Nottingham derby being our biggest game of the year. I'm glad we help make their videos. We will give it a go against Gloucestershire but we will also try to be one step ahead of the opposition, to try and outwit them."

Far from being an easy turnover, Derbyshire's T20 record compares favourably since they turned to Wright then Cork as a specialist T20 coach, but the habit is yet to take hold. Middlesex had less success with the appointment of Daniel Vettori, who never seemed integrated into county cricket, but somehow just stuck onto it. Cork might have spent some of his career at Lancashire and Hampshire, but his time with Derbyshire goes back to when he was a teenager on a Youth Training Scheme.

"I don't see myself as just a T20 coach, I see myself as a coach," he said. "but I had enjoyed my two years as a bowling coach and an opportunity came along. A few have tried the role of specialist T20 coach and a few have failed. I think it's difficult for a coach to come in for six weeks when he doesn't know the ins and outs of the club or how the side is set up. But I have an affiliation at this club; it means a lot to me."

Watching passively does not come naturally. It was no surprise to learn that he would quite like the chance to get more actively involved. He would like the Blast to adopt strategic timeouts. If they ever did, he would not be short of suggestions, but would dominate the screen like Gene Hackman in the American college basketball movie, Hoosiers, shouting: "I don't care what the scoreboard says." Especially if it said 20-odd for 6.

"When you come into the role you can set the team up as well as you want but you can't do anything about it really," he said. "I still think we should follow India and have strategic timeouts. I would genuinely like to see that even though it might lengthen the game at a time when people want to squeeze the game with The Hundred.

"It's been difficult for me because occasionally I can see things that I think we could be doing better. Without standing up there and giving it the Brian Clough, I don't do that, I just sit down and we discuss it afterwards.

"I would love to win the Blast. As a player I always felt I could win. Contrary to a lot of people's opinions about myself it wasn't about me. I just loved winning. It would be great for the club to get to Finals Day and get the monkey off our back."

Sri Lanka 125 for 8 (Gunathilaka 30, Santner 3-12, Astle 3-28) beat New Zealand 88 (Southee 28*, Malinga 5-6) by 37 runs

He's 36 years of age, not nearly as quick as he used to be, and almost everyone thought his career was done two years ago, but he's still got it. That yorker, the late swing, the dip, the accuracy, that low-arm sling: the works - he's still got it.

Back in the 2007 World Cup, Lasith Malinga became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in almost 120 years of international cricket. Three further international hat-tricks later, in defence of Sri Lanka's modest 125 for 8, he ripped out four in four again, on an evening in which he claimed five wickets for six runs, and hauled Sri Lanka to a 37-run consolation victory against New Zealand.

Where the first four-in-four had largely been the result of reverse swing, and balls moving into the right-hander, this time he was envenomed by conventional swing - the ball moving viciously in the opposite direction. Where in 2007, his victims were mainly lower-order batsmen, in a mostly-empty stadium in Guyana, in 2019 he was taking down New Zealand's top order in front of a euphoric packed house in Pallekele.

When New Zealand began their innings, it almost seemed like a formality that they would complete a whitewash. Sri Lanka had floundered with the bat on a slow, turning surface, registering a total that seemed at least 25 runs below what might have been competitive. Malinga, though, made his team's batting woes, and the pitch itself, irrelevant.

It was in his second over, the third of the innings, that sent the stadium into raptures, and the New Zealand batting order into tumult. Third ball, he swung a full delivery past Colin Munro's drive, to tickle his leg stump, the ball moving from middle stump to leg, both in the air, and off the surface. The next delivery, to another left-hander, was almost identical. Hamish Rutherford had flown in from the UK for this game, and barely had time to register the ball, before it swerved late again to hit him in front of middle and leg. Initially, the umpire ruled not out. Malinga reviewed almost immediately and had that decision overturned.

The next two wickets were even more special, coming as they did against New Zealand's best batsmen of the T20 series. Colin de Grandhomme thought the yorker Malinga had bowled to him was hitting his pads, but again, just micro-seconds before it reached him, the ball curved towards slip, missing yet another shot, hitting yet another stump. Malinga set off on a celebratory sprint as Pallekele went nuts around him, but soon after, ball in hand, he wasn't done yet. Ross Taylor managed to get a boot in the way of the next outswinging yorker. This time, there was no doubting where the ball was headed. The umpire gave it out immediately.

Malinga would take one more wicket in his following over, getting Tim Seifert to edge to slip with what else but a full out-swinging delivery. Which meant that he had taken five wickets in the space of nine balls. The only run he conceded in that sequence was a leg-side wide. He had reduced New Zealand to a galling 23 for 5 - in danger at that time of recording their lowest T20 total.

Although Malinga took himself out of the attack, wickets would continue to tumble. Three fell in the space of four balls in the ninth over - the first a run-out of Daryl Mitchell, before Akila Dananjaya bowled Scott Kuggeleijn with a ball that ricocheted off the batsman's elbow, then had Mitchell Santner stumped two balls later. In the following over, when Wanindu Hasaranga trapped Todd Astle in front of the stumps, New Zealand were 52 for 9 after 10 overs.

The game seemed as if it was all done at that stage, but Tim Southee, batting with No. 11 Seth Rance, still gave the hosts a scare. Southee hit three sixes in the 13th over, bowled by Lakshan Sandakan - a burst of runs that forced Malinga to come back and deliver his final over. Rance and Southee survived Malinga, but could not get much further. On the last ball of the 16th over, Sandakan came around the wicket to Rance, and trapped him in front as he was trying to sweep.

Earlier, it had been New Zealand's spinners that scythed their way through Sri Lanka's batting order. Santner, whose 3 for 12 from four overs would be the best bowling performance on any normal evening, first had the out-of-sorts Kusal Perera caught at short fine leg with his first ball, before later having Niroshan Dickwella caught at the same position. He then set debutant Lahiru Madushanka up with two beautiful slow, spinning deliveries, before getting him lbw with a straighter one.

Legspinner Astle reaped three wickets himself in his first match of the tour, taking 3 for 28, while Southee maintained a typically outstanding economy rate of four through his full quota of overs. Sri Lanka, whose highest partnerships was the 31-run stand, played a succession of bad shots, and gave up an unnecessary run out to boot.

The Pallekele crowd was subdued at the end of that batting performance. They were soon brought to roaring life by a vintage performance from a fast bowler, who even now, is one of the most explosive going. Almost in the drama of the evening were the stats that Malinga ticked off. He became the first bowler to 100 T20 international wickets during this spell. He now has two T20 hat-tricks, which no one has done. Of the 100-international hat-tricks now taken in cricket, Malinga has a 5% share.

The Chattogram pitch was the "opposite" of what Bangladesh expected it to be, said captain Shakib Al Hasan, hinting that their line-up of four specialist spinners was enough to understand what they were looking for. Shakib said that he was surprised that his bowlers could take five wickets on the first day, but he did also admit that fewer cross-batted shots may have helped Bangladesh's cause on the second.

Bangladesh are currently 148 runs behind Afghanistan's 342, after they collapsed to 104 for 6 in their first innings soon after the tea interval. Mominul Haque's half-century was the only retort as batsmen like Mahmudullah, Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar got into trouble trying to play the ball - which was keeping low occasionally - from the crease.

"We didn't expect to play on this wicket, so the situation became difficult for us," Shakib said. "We got the complete opposite of what we expected from the wicket. But it doesn't mean that we can't do well here. Good teams are those who can answer questions outside the box. We will try to give those answers.

"It is definitely disappointing, but there's no point talking about it. We need to find a way to come back from this situation, which is more important. Seeing our XI you can all figure out what type of pitch we expected. But I wouldn't call the wicket unplayable because of the way Mosaddek and Taijul batted, but we could have applied ourselves better. They proved that it is possible to stay at the crease and also score runs. I think we could have scored more runs had we applied ourselves better."

Shakib bemoaned the lack of a wristspinner in his line-up, particularly seeing Afghanistan's trio - Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmed and Zahir Khan - trouble the batsmen. "The difference is that they have wristspinners, we have fingerspinners. Nabi bhai took two wickets but our fingerspinners took all ten wickets. Their wristspinners were more effective, and without one on a flat wicket, it was difficult for us," he said.

Shakib however remained optimistic about a fightback, as he feels that it is possible for Mosaddek and Taijul to further thwart the Afghanistan attack on the third morning. He also expects his spinners to turn on the home magic.

"I expect these two wickets to bat out at least the first session. If we can cut down the deficit by 70 or 80 runs, it will give us a big advantage. It will be a tough challenge but the way they batted, I can believe.

"But then we have to bowl really well, which teams have done in the past in the second innings. Our bowlers have to do something magical, after which we have to depend on our batsmen," he said.

Shakib said that in order to tackle Nabi's threat, they sent Liton Das at No. 3 to have at least one right-hander against the offspinner. He also said that Mominul was batting well but could have played the shot that got him caught at mid-on a bit better.

"He plays spin well, plus they had an offspinner bowling a long spell with the new ball. We have three or four left-handers in our top order, so I thought that it was better to have a mix. I think we were partly successful, as he handled Nabi bhai quite well. He is more effective against left-handers than right-handers.

"Mominul was scoring runs quickly, so I wouldn't say that he could have avoided that shot. He should have executed it better, so that even if it is not a six, he got a four," he said.

Shakib, however, repeated that the Bangladesh batsmen should stay away from going deep into their crease - because the pitch isn't offering enough bounce - to play shots square of the wicket, particularly against Rashid.

"He has a bit of pace in his bowling, and the wicket is [staying] a bit low, so he became quite effective. Those who tried to play him off the back foot, like [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai and Liton, missed the ball. It kept low, which makes playing cross-batted shots difficult."

Vikram Rathour's appointment as India's new batting coach is a good move for Indian cricket, particularly due to his inter-personal skills, players who have worked under him believe.

Rathour, who played for India and was part of the selection panel in the past, also had coaching stints with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in India's domestic cricket circuit, and a spell with Kings XI Punjab in the IPL. He has himself identified man-management as the key aspect of his coaching style, telling bcci.tv: "I was a good man-manager and during the last stage of my playing career, I was doing a lot of things that coaches normally do. At this level, man-management is the key. How you support them, how you look after them in tough times has been my strength."

Mandeep Singh, who worked with Rathour at Punjab and at Kings XI, said the Indian team would be in great hands with him coming on board. "Not just cricket, but in general I have learned many things from him," Mandeep told ESPNcricinfo. "Somehow he will make you feel good. He's so positive and optimistic.

"For example, let's say I have not been selected in some team, so he'll sit down and ask me, 'Okay how many runs did you make last season?' I'll tell him I made 600 runs, so he'll say, 'Koi nahin [Doesn't matter], make 800 runs next time, make 1000 runs.' He won't let you crib, he'll just focus on how to get better.

"I don't talk about my batting with anyone else, just him. If someone else tells me something and I feel it's good advice, I'll still discuss it with him. I think it's great for the Indian team, they've got a very solid guy. I haven't seen anyone else having the man-management skills he has. I don't think anyone he has worked with would ever have a negative word to say about him."

Mandeep offered an example of Rathour's coaching style. "When he was the Punjab coach we were playing against Saurashtra in Mohali. We won the toss and chose to bowl and they made 550 runs (542) and then bowled us out 250-odd (278) in the first innings and 100-odd (120) in the second innings. I mean it was a bad defeat," he said. "Generally, if you lose so badly in a home match when you have a good team, coaches give you a talking to.

"But he said, 'Okay, what's happened has happened, so now I'll give you guys a punishment'. Everyone was nervous. But the 'punishment' turned out to be that he told us we each had to wear one of the official jerseys left over from the World Cup that happened that year, which were an awful orange-yellow colour mix, and come out for dinner together. Nobody talked cricket. The next day was given off, and then after that in practice the next day he spoke about what went wrong and what didn't.

"I have seen the biggest coaches get very upset and angry after these kind of defeats. But he always stays cool. Even if he gets angry - I mean he doesn't actually get angry - but if he has to say something, his style is such that you'll never take it to heart. Instead, you get motivated to do better."

Ankit Kalsi, who played under Rathour last season for Himachal and did well enough to get selected in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, said Rathour always made players see the bigger picture.

"He shows you a big vision, and says you must not think small," Kalsi said. "I bat at No. 4 (for Himachal), so he tells me, 'Your competition should be with Virat Kohli, who bats at No. 4 for India. Don't think that you are competing with other No. 4 batsmen in domestic cricket. You have to think about the next level.' He keeps pushing you towards bigger goals."

Abdul Qadir, the man who revived the art of legspin bowling, has passed away in Lahore from a cardiac arrest.

Qadir, an integral part of Pakistan's most successful sides in the 1980s and a valuable mentor to Shane Warne and Mushtaq Ahmed among others, was 63, nine days short of his next birthday.

Qadir worked with Pakistan cricket in several capacities after his playing career was over and ran a private academy just outside Gaddafi Stadium. "PCB is shocked at the news of 'maestro' Abdul Qadir's passing and has offered its deepest condolences to his family and friends," the PCB tweeted.

More to follow...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs made a statement about how much they want Tyreek Hill continuing to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes by signing the star wide receiver to a three-year extension on Friday.

Sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter that the extension is worth $54 million and includes $35 million guaranteed. ProFootballTalk first reported the details of the contract.

"We're pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Tyreek to keep him in a Chiefs uniform for the foreseeable future," general manager Brett Veach said. "He understands our expectations of him as a member of this team and community. This extension is contingent upon the conditions Tyreek agreed to adhere to upon his return to the team in July.

"Tyreek is an elite player in this league and has played a major role in our team's success, and we're pleased that he'll continue to make an impact for us."

The extension comes only months after Hill, 25, was being investigated by the Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney's office regarding injuries to his son. The prosecutor announced in April that Hill would not be charged.

On the field, Hill has been exceptional for the Chiefs. One of the NFL's fastest players, Hill's receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns have increased in each of his three seasons. Last year, in Mahomes' first season as a starter, Hill caught 87 passes for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue my playing career here in Kansas City," Hill said in a statement. "Kansas City is my home, and I appreciate the love and support from Clark Hunt, Coach [Andy] Reid and Brett Veach along with my coaches and teammates. To Chiefs Kingdom, you're the best fans in the world."

Hill avoided controversy for much of his time with the Chiefs until this year, when he was being investigated for possible child abuse. After it was announced he would not be charged, audio surfaced of a discussion between Hill and his fiancee about their son's injuries. Hill at one point told her, "You need to be terrified of me, too,'' before adding a derogatory term.

The Chiefs suspended Hill from offseason practice after the audio became public. He was cleared to play in time for training camp when the NFL announced Hill would not be suspended in regard to the incident.

Hill joined the Chiefs under controversy as a fifth-round draft pick in 2016. He had pleaded guilty two years earlier in Oklahoma to punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend.

Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown, after a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock on Wednesday in which disparaging language was used by Brown, has issued "an emotional apology" at a team meeting on Friday morning, a source told ESPN.

The source said Brown issued the apology with team captains "standing with him" and that the team "treated him like a family member" afterward.

On Wednesday, Brown initiated a discussion with Mayock midway through practice, resulting in the confrontation that had sparked the team's impasse with the player, according to a team source.

A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM. The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a "cracker" and unleashed a barrage of "cuss words" during the altercation.

The team source said Mayock tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation.

"[Mayock] was like, 'I'm cool, I understand your displeasure,'" the source said. "[Mayock] sort of just like ... just walked away because he saw it escalate."

The source stressed the confrontation escalated quickly, but it never appeared to be getting physical, and players, including linebacker Vontaze Burfict, attempted to separate Brown from the situation in order to calm him down.

That led to the team planning to suspend Brown, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The source said it appeared Brown had read the letter about the fine -- which he posted on Instagram -- before practice and was angry to begin with.

"When he saw [Mayock], he was like, 'I can address it,'" the team source said.

The Raiders source said of Brown: "Nobody works as hard. Nobody loves the game as much, but [it] seems like there is something that is distracting him from his love that [he] can't control."

Mayock told reporters that Brown was not at the facility Thursday and would not be practicing. He did not confirm or deny that Brown will be suspended.

Coach Jon Gruden also wouldn't divulge any specifics, saying after practice Thursday that the Raiders would "have an official announcement later." Gruden was asked if he saw the alleged incident between Brown and Mayock.

"Like I said, I'm not going to get into all of this," Gruden said. "Obviously, [Brown] wasn't here today, and when we have some information for you, we'll give it to you. ... I've been talking about the same guy every day.

"... I'm emotional about it, I hope you understand why. I think a lot of this guy. I think Antonio is a great receiver, and deep down I think he's a really good guy. So, I'm frustrated, I'm not going to say anything more about it, hope it all works out. But I don't have anything official to say about anything else until I get all the facts, and that's what I'm going to do."

Brown was listed as a non-participant for Thursday's practice.

Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Get Up! that he continues to hope there is a solution to the situation.

"Right now I think his relationship with Coach Gruden is good, very good," Rosenhaus said Friday. "I'm not going to get into his relationship with Mike Mayock, but I will say that we're hopeful that that will be a good one, as well. It has been in the past; it can be in the future."

Rosenhaus added: "Listen, the NFL is a workplace. And in workplace environments, not everything is perfect. Antonio is a new player on this football team and we're trying to make it a very good relationship across the board. But what is very common in a new relationship is you try to get things in a good place. And it takes time."

Thursday night, Rosenhaus told ESPN's Rob Demovsky at Chicago's Soldier Field that he has been in contact with Raiders officials and that his client wants to play in the season opener Monday night.

"That's up to the Raiders," Rosenhaus said. "If it's up to us, he would like to play. But, ultimately, that's going to be their decision. He would like to honor his contract and fulfill his commitment to the Raiders. That's what we're trying to hammer out with the team right now."

In the letter, Mayock informed Brown that he was being fined $13,950 for missing a walk-through on Aug. 22, an unexcused absence. The letter also mentioned the team previously had fined Brown $40,000 for missing camp on Aug. 18 -- the day the GM issued his ultimatum to Brown, saying, "It's time for him to be all-in or all-out, OK?"

ESPN's Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.

Football is back, and we're previewing the Week 1 NFL slate. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1-100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets, as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Week 1 schedule, starting with an AFC showdown between the Chiefs and Jaguars.

Jump to a matchup:
KC-JAX | LAR-CAR | ATL-MIN
TEN-CLE | WSH-PHI | BUF-NYJ
BAL-MIA | IND-LAC | CIN-SEA
NYG-DAL | SF-TB | DET-ARI
PIT-NE | HOU-NO | DEN-OAK

Thursday: GB 10, CHI 3

Chiefs at Jaguars

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 75.2 | Spread: KC -3.5 (51.5)

What to watch for: Nobody is really sure what to expect out of the Jaguars' offense under new coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterback Nick Foles. Can the Jags score 30-plus points? That's what it'll probably take to beat the Chiefs, who look just as potent as they were last season. -- Michael DiRocco

Bold prediction: Patrick Mahomes will throw at least two touchdown passes. That might not sound like a big deal for a QB who threw 50 of them last season, but remember the Jaguars were the only team to shut him out in that category in the regular season last year. -- Adam Teicher

Stat to know: Tyreek Hill scored on each of his first two touches of the 2018 season (against the Chargers), a 91-yard punt return and a 58-yard reception. He has a league-high 302 receiving yards in season openers over the past two years, but the Jaguars did limit him to only four receptions for 61 yards in Week 5 last season.

What to know for fantasy: Mahomes posted the best fantasy season ever by a quarterback (417.1 points), but the Jags are the fourth-best defense against quarterbacks since Doug Marrone took over in 2016. Only once last season did a QB go into Jacksonville and score 21-plus points (Carson Wentz). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Foles has covered seven straight games as an underdog, including six outright wins. Read more.

Teicher's pick: Chiefs 34, Jaguars 24
DiRocco's pick: Chiefs 31, Jaguars 20
FPI prediction: KC, 58.2% (by an average of 3.0 points)

Matchup must-reads: Chiefs 'expect to score every single time' and break downward trend ... Foles getting rare second chance to be franchise QB ... Foles lost his love for football; the Chiefs helped him find it

Rams at Panthers

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 69.6 | Spread: LAR -1 (50)

What to watch for: Don't be surprised if Cam Newton tests his throwing shoulder early with at least two deep throws, probably to Curtis Samuel, to make the Rams play honest. He also won't be hesitant to run. He led the Panthers in rushing in last year's opener. -- David Newton

Bold prediction: Todd Gurley will rush for more than 100 yards and will add a touchdown. He returns to the state where he grew up for the first time as a pro and is coming off arguably his most challenging offseason because of endless chatter about his left knee. -- Lindsey Thiry

Stat to know: Jared Goff led the NFL with 116 completions of 10-plus air yards last season. The Panthers, meanwhile, gave up 16 passing touchdowns of at least 10 air yards in 2018, tied for the third most in the NFL.

What to know for fantasy: Wide receiver Cooper Kupp returns to action after tearing his ACL last season. Kupp caught at least five passes in six of eight games last season and is averaging 1.3 red zone targets per game during his career (seventh best). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Super Bowl losers from the previous season are 3-16 against the spread (ATS) in Week 1 the following season since 2000. Read more.

Thiry's pick: Rams 28, Panthers 24
Newton's pick: Panthers 27, Rams 23
FPI prediction: LAR, 51.1% (by an average of 0.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: McVay: Defending Newton-McCaffrey duo a 'nightmare' ... Rams back up money truck to ensure Goff-McVay connection ... Fully healthy, Cam feeling 'like a rookie again' ... McVay provides compass for Rams to navigate past Super Bowl

Falcons at Vikings

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 66.3 | Spread: MIN -4 (48)

What to watch for: The Julio Jones-Xavier Rhodes matchup is always popcorn-worthy. A healthy Rhodes limited Jones to two catches for 24 yards in 2017 during one of his best years as a pro. But he is coming off a season riddled with injuries. -- Courtney Cronin

Bold prediction: Miami friends and former Florida State Seminoles Dalvin Cook and Devonta Freeman will each go for 100 rushing yards. But it's Cook and the Vikings who come up with the win. -- Vaughn McClure

Stat to know: Matt Ryan's 4,924 passing yards were third in the NFL last season, but the Vikings gave up only 196.3 passing yards per game -- also third in NFL.

What to know for fantasy: The Falcons have given up the most running-back receptions in each of the past four seasons, and Cook ranked seventh among running backs in receptions last December. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Mike Zimmer is 52-29-2 ATS as a head coach, the best mark by any coach in the Super Bowl era (minimum 50 games), including 29-12-1 at home. Read more.

McClure's pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 21
Cronin's pick: Vikings 24, Falcons 20
FPI prediction: MIN, 59.2% (by an average of 3.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: 'I get to be me again': Healthy Cook eyeing big Year 3 ... How 34-year-old Ryan stays young ... Vikings have big plans for TE Smith, but history suggests patience

Titans at Browns

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 53.9 | Spread: CLE -5.5 (45)

What to watch for: The unveiling of the Baker Mayfield-Odell Beckham Jr. passing connection, which has a chance to be among the elite in the NFL, will be reason enough to tune in. How the duo fares in its debut will offer a glimpse of how dynamic this Browns offense can be in 2019. -- Jake Trotter

Bold prediction: The Browns' offense is potent, but it will take time to get rolling in the season opener against a Titans defense that catches Cleveland at the perfect time. Derrick Henry runs for 125 yards and a touchdown. -- Turron Davenport

Stat to know: Henry led the NFL with 585 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns over the final four weeks of last season. That success came from his bruising running style, as he led the NFL with 2.85 yards after contact per rush.

What to know for fantasy: Mayfield was the only quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in Week 16 and Week 17 last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Cleveland is 0-13-1 outright and 4-9-1 ATS in its past 14 Week 1 games, but it did cover each of its past two season openers. Read more.

Davenport's pick: Titans 24, Browns 17
Trotter's pick: Browns 28, Titans 17
FPI prediction: CLE, 56.6% (by an average of 2.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Chubb primed for Year 2, and 1K season that got away ... How will Titans fare without Lewan against Browns' pass-rushers?

Redskins at Eagles

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 47.9 | Spread: PHI -10 (45)

What to watch for: The Eagles are anticipating Washington cornerback Josh Norman will shadow Alshon Jeffery most of the game. That's all the more reason for Carson Wentz to target his other outside receiver, DeSean Jackson, who has a history of monster games against his former teams. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: Tight ends will do most of the damage in this matchup. The Redskins' Jordan Reed will catch five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, and Eagles tight end Zach Ertz will continue his domination of Washington with seven catches for 80 yards and a score of his own. -- John Keim

Stat to know: The Eagles are 8-2 in their past 10 season openers, tied for the best season-opening record in the NFL (with the Broncos and Patriots) during that span. Meanwhile, the Redskins have lost five of their past six season openers.

What to know for fantasy: Wentz was one of three quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards and multiple touchdowns against the Redskins last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its past six season openers, and Washington is 1-5 ATS in that same span. Read more.

Keim's pick: Eagles 24, Redskins 13
McManus' pick: Eagles 27, Redskins 17
FPI prediction: PHI, 77.9% (by an average of 11.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Pederson's message to Wentz: 'Let the team work for you' ... DeSean Jackson is out for redemption ... Jay Gruden: Redskins' defense has chance 'to be special' ... Eagles linemen want to bust the 'O-line body' stigma

Bills at Jets

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 31.4 | Spread: NYJ -2.5 (40.5)

What to watch for: Jets running back Le'Veon Bell makes his much-anticipated return to the NFL after sitting out the 2018 season because of a contract dispute with the Steelers. And second-year QBs Sam Darnold and Josh Allen, who are close friends, meet for the second time in what figures to be a long personal rivalry within the AFC East. Darnold leads Allen 1-0. -- Rich Cimini

Bold prediction: Devin Singletary will score two touchdowns. The rookie running back has a role on the ground and in the passing game, and will find his way into the end zone in both capacities Sunday. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Stat to know: Allen averaged 10.5 air yards per attempt last season for Buffalo, the second-highest rate in the NFL -- but he completed just 37% of his throws more than 10 yards downfield, which was the worst mark in the league.

What to know for fantasy: Bell was RB2 the last time we saw him (2017), averaging 22.8 points per game. And there were four running backs last season who scored over 25 points in a game against the Bills (Marlon Mack, Melvin Gordon, Leonard Fournette and James White). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: The underdog has won five of the past six -- and nine of the past 11 -- meetings between these two teams outright. Read more.

Louis-Jacques' pick: Bills 24, Jets 16
Cimini's pick: Jets 21, Bills 20
FPI prediction: NYJ, 59.3% (by an average of 3.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Why Gore keeps grinding for another NFL season ... Mosley embraces new start but won't let go of his past ... Gase's plan for Darnold: Play like Peyton

Ravens at Dolphins

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 27.1 | Spread: BAL -6.5 (38.5)

What to watch for: Dolphins coaches' eyes widened when Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was mentioned this week, and they highlighted his passing game improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. "This is not a one-trick pony," coach Brian Flores said. -- Cameron Wolfe

Bold prediction: Jackson gains over 100 yards rushing. He's opening the season against a Dolphins defense that allowed Bills QB Josh Allen to rush for 135 and 95 yards in two meetings last December. -- Jamison Hensley

Stat to know: The Ravens have scored 54 unanswered points versus the Dolphins, including a 40-0 win in Week 8 of 2017. And the Ravens went 6-1 after naming Jackson the starting quarterback in Week 10 of 2018.

What to know for fantasy: Jackson ranked sixth in rush attempts and seventh in rushing yards over the final seven weeks of 2018 ... among all positions. Over that stretch, Jackson had more rushing yards (556) and rushing touchdowns (4) than Christian McCaffrey. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Baltimore has covered each of the past eight meetings. But Miami has covered six straight season openers, the longest active streak in the league. Read more.

Hensley's pick: Ravens 26, Dolphins 10
Wolfe's pick: Ravens 24, Dolphins 13
FPI prediction: BAL, 63.1% (by an average of 4.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Harbaugh's T-shirt game is motivating the Ravens ... Tanking or not, Dolphins risk losing players' trust with current plan ... Decline at 29? Ingram set to deliver his rebuttal

Colts at Chargers

4:05 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 55.8 | Spread: LAC -6.5 (44.5)

What to watch for: With Andrew Luck's surprising retirement, how Jacoby Brissett plays in his absence will go a long way in determining the outcome. Head coach Frank Reich said Brissett just has to play within himself. "The message is you don't have to be a hero," Reich said. -- Eric D. Williams

Bold prediction: Running back Marlon Mack will rush for more than 100 yards. Mack rushed for 908 yards despite missing four games last season, and the Chargers gave up an average of 101.6 yards per game rushing last season and will be without starting Pro Bowl safety Derwin James (foot). -- Mike Wells

Stat to know: The Bolts are 19-6 (.760) against the AFC South with Philip Rivers at quarterback, and the Colts have lost nine of their past 11 overall with Brissett as their starting quarterback.

What to know for fantasy: For his career, T.Y. Hilton averages 1.76 fantasy points per target from Luck. That number dips with Brissett under center, but not as much as you might assume: 1.71 points per target (less than a 3% drop-off). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Indianapolis is 1-10 ATS in Week 1 in the past 11 seasons (2-9 straight up). Read more.

Wells' pick: Chargers 21, Colts 17
Williams' pick: Chargers 23, Colts 20
FPI prediction: LAC, 67.8% (by an average of 6.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Colts confident Brissett won't flinch amid search for next franchise QB ... Ekeler, Jackson ready to share RB load with Gordon out

Bengals at Seahawks

4:05 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 46.1 | Spread: SEA -10 (44)

What to watch for: The debuts of Jadeveon Clowney, Ezekiel Ansah and Zac Taylor are the headlines for this one. Seattle will want to ease Clowney (holdout) and Ansah (shoulder) in given that both are coming off extended absences, so don't expect a full workload from either. And Taylor will have his hands full in his debut as Cincinnati's new head coach. -- Brady Henderson

Bold prediction: Clowney will have two sacks in his Seattle debut. He probably will be lined up against backup left tackle Andre Smith, the veteran who was signed two days before training camp. -- Ben Baby

Stat to know: Joe Mixon rushed for 1,168 yards (fourth in the NFL) last season, and he now faces a Seahawks defense that gave up the third-most yards per rush (4.95).

What to know for fantasy: In 2018, only Ezekiel Elliott had more runs of 15-plus yards than Mixon (23). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seattle has won 10 straight home openers and is 7-2 ATS in nine home openers under Pete Carroll. Read more.

Baby's pick: Seahawks 31, Bengals 14
Henderson's pick: Seahawks 27, Bengals 17
FPI prediction: SEA, 77.0% (by an average of 10.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Seahawks' 2-for-1 exchange: Clark out, Ansah and Clowney in ... Seahawks steal Clowney even if he's a one-year rental ... Cincinnati again serves as pivotal opportunity for Bengals' Taylor ... Dalton brushing off pressure entering pivotal season

Giants at Cowboys

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 42.8 | Spread: DAL -7.5 (45.5)

What to watch for: How much will Ezekiel Elliott play after returning from his holdout and only three practices? In 2017, Elliott returned from a suspension and carried the ball 51 times for 200 yards in the final two games. This time he returns from a holdout with only one padded practice. -- Todd Archer

Bold prediction: Jason Witten will have close to 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns in his first game out of retirement. The Dallas tight end has always feasted against the Giants, which includes four touchdowns in his past five games against them. -- Jordan Raanan

Stat to know: When the Giants have more blockers than defenders in the box, Saquon Barkley takes full advantage. NFL Next Gen Stats has the Giants running back at 6.4 yards per rush last season in that situation, the highest rate of any RB with at least 40 such carries.

What to know for fantasy: Barkley scored 49 total fantasy points in his two games against the Cowboys last season and did so in a variety of ways (14 catches in the first game, 109 yards on the ground in the second one). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: New York was 7-1 ATS on the road last season, the best mark in the league. Read more.

Raanan's pick: Cowboys 26, Giants 16
Archer's pick: Cowboys 27, Giants 17
FPI prediction: DAL, 75.3% (by an average of 9.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jerry Jones pays Elliott: Time for Cowboys to win Super Bowl ... Why Engram might be Giants' No. 1 receiver ... Garrett is coaching for his job but you wouldn't know it

49ers at Buccaneers

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 42.3 | Spread: TB -1 (51)

What to watch for: The Bucs might have a strong vertical passing attack under Bruce "No Risk It, No Biscuit" Arians, but the Niners' pass rush could really do some damage up front against an offensive line that surrendered a whopping 19 sacks in the preseason. -- Jenna Laine

Bold prediction: The 49ers will match their interception total from all of last season by picking off Jameis Winston twice -- but Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans will have a huge game to even things out. -- Nick Wagoner

Stat to know: Niners tight end George Kittle gained 855 of his 1,377 receiving yards last season after the catch, the most by any player since YAC was first tracked in 2006.

What to know for fantasy: Only two teams gave up more deep touchdown passes than the 49ers last season, and Winston led the league in air yards per pass attempt. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: San Francisco is 0-7 ATS and straight up in its past seven games where the total was in the 50s. Read more.

Wagoner's pick: Buccaneers 27, 49ers 24
Laine's pick: Buccaneers 24, 49ers 16
FPI prediction: TB, 52.0% (by an average of 0.8 points)

Matchup must-reads: 49ers must figure out what they have in Garoppolo in 2019 ... What's shaping Winston's fate with the Bucs in 2019?

Lions at Cardinals

4:25 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 25.0 | Spread: DET -2.5 (46.5)

What to watch for: The Cardinals' offense has been a tightly kept secret since coach Kliff Kingsbury was hired in January, leaving plenty of questions about how much Arizona will throw the ball. This will be our first real look. -- Josh Weinfuss

Bold prediction: Arizona QB Kyler Murray ends up with 125 yards passing and 50 yards rushing in the first half, but the Lions' defense stifles him in the second half to force turnovers and give Detroit a come-from-behind win. -- Michael Rothstein

Stat to know: Both Murray and Kingsbury are set to make their NFL debuts. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, they would be the third-youngest quarterback-head coach duo to make their NFL debuts in the same game since the merger in 1970 (the Raiders' Steve Beuerlein and Mike Shanahan in 1988, and the Colts' Bert Jones and Howard Schnellenberger in 1973).

What to know for fantasy: Kerryon Johnson was RB10 over his final two games of 2018, and he gets a Cardinals defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs last season. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Quarterbacks making their first career starts are 9-1-1 ATS since 2013 (8-0-1 ATS as the underdog). Read more.

Rothstein's pick: Lions 27, Cardinals 20
Weinfuss' pick: Lions 30, Cardinals 28
FPI prediction: DET, 50.9% (by an average of 0.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Murray's 'pinpoint' accuracy has already made an impression ... Lions face challenge of the 'unknown' in Murray, Kingsbury

Steelers at Patriots

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 69.2 | Spread: NE -6 (49)

What to watch for: Tom Brady faces the Steelers' pass rush, which tied for an NFL-high 52 sacks last season, with backup center Ted Karras stepping in for David Andrews (IR, blood clots in lungs) and 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn (IR as a rookie/torn Achilles) making his first career start at left tackle. How the Patriots' offensive line protects him might be the difference. -- Mike Reiss

Bold prediction: The Steelers' improved defense will intercept Brady inside Gillette Stadium for the first time ever. Pittsburgh feels it finally has the playmakers in the back seven to match wits with Brady, who has never lost to Pittsburgh at home. -- Jeremy Fowler

Stat to know: Brady has a 86.1 Total QBR against the Steelers since the metric was first tracked in 2006, his second-best QBR against a single opponent in that span (91.8 vs. the Bears).

What to know for fantasy: In Sony Michel's past four games with at least 15 carries (playoffs included), he ran for seven touchdowns and averaged 22.3 fantasy points per game. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Pittsburgh was 5-0 ATS as an underdog (4-1 outright) last season, including a win vs. New England. But Brady is 7-3-1 ATS against Ben Roethlisberger. Read more.

Fowler's pick: Steelers 27, Patriots 20
Reiss' pick: Patriots 27, Steelers 24
FPI prediction: NE, 65.1% (by an average of 5.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: 'Adaptable' Patriots' plan of attack in 2019? Whatever works ... Steelers come to Tom Brady chess match with versatile pieces ... Gronk: Call from Brady wouldn't tempt me back

Texans at Saints

Monday, 7:10 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 71.3 | Spread: NO -6.5 (52.5)

What to watch for: Saints players and coaches have downplayed the idea of a "hangover effect" from the NFC Championship Game, but it sure would help them move on if they could win their first season opener since 2013. -- Mike Triplett

Bold prediction: Drew Brees throws for 400 yards. The Texans' defense lost Tyrann Mathieu, Kareem Jackson and Jadeveon Clowney this offseason, and even with some new additions, Brees and Michael Thomas could take advantage of the Texans' secondary. -- Sarah Barshop

Stat to know: Brees becomes the sixth different quarterback to start a season opener at age 40 or older since 1950, joining Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Vinny Testaverde, Warren Moon and Johnny Unitas. And the Saints are 20-6 at home in prime time under Brees (2-0 last season).

What to know for fantasy: Keke Coutee is unlikely to play, and Will Fuller went over 100 receiving yards with a touchdown in all three games he played with Coutee inactive in 2018. See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Houston QB Deshaun Watson is 7-2 ATS as an underdog in his career (4-5 straight up). Read more.

Barshop's pick: Saints 35, Texans 20
Triplett's pick: Saints 29, Texans 23
FPI prediction: NO, 65.3% (by an average of 5.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Tunsil, Clowney moves will define Texans ... Tales of Drew Brees in the huddle? There's really just one ... O'Brien wants the Patriot Way. His trades go against it

Broncos at Raiders

Monday, 10:20 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 33.9 | Spread: DEN -2.5 (43)

What to watch for: How emotionally drained will the Raiders be from the Antonio Brown on-again, off-again saga? The adrenaline rush from a season opener will carry the Raiders early, and an improved defense should hold the Broncos at bay. And now that Brown is back in the building, he will dominate the conversation. -- Paul Gutierrez

Bold prediction: The Broncos sacked Derek Carr at least three times in three of their first four meetings but haven't sacked him more than twice in a game in any of the past five meetings. Denver will need to sack him at least four times Monday night to get a road win. -- Jeff Legwold

Stat to know: The Broncos have won seven consecutive season openers, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak in franchise history. But they've also lost three straight at the Raiders and three straight games on Monday Night Football -- all to AFC West opponents.

What to know for fantasy: Denver gave up the fifth-most deep touchdown passes last season, and Tyrell Williams, stepping into a more prominent role than ever before, ranks fourth in yards per catch during his career (minimum 150 catches). See Week 1 rankings.

Betting nugget: Denver is 5-13 ATS in its past 18 road games and 2-8 ATS in its past 10 divisional games. Read more.

Legwold's pick: Broncos 23, Raiders 20
Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 17, Broncos 16
FPI prediction: OAK, 51.7% (by an average of 0.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Miller's 2019 season was built on 14 words ... Is Carr entering a 'prove-it' season with the Raiders?

Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden said he is counting on having embattled wide receiver Antonio Brown in the lineup for the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

"That's the plan," Gruden told reporters during a short statement at Friday's practice.

"Antonio is back today," Gruden said. "We're really excited about that. Ready to move on. He's had a lot of, obviously, time to think about things. We're happy to have him back and I know Raider Nation is excited about that, too."

Earlier Friday, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson that Brown issued "an emotional apology" during a team meeting on Friday morning.

That apology came on the heels of a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock on Wednesday, in which disparaging language was used by Brown, a source told ESPN.

On Wednesday, Brown initiated a discussion with Mayock midway through practice, resulting in the confrontation that had sparked the team's impasse with the player, according to a team source.

A Raiders source confirmed Brown was unhappy with the fine levied by the team and, seeing Mayock watching practice, walked over and initiated an exchange with the GM. The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a "cracker" and unleashed a barrage of "cuss words" during the altercation.

The team source said Mayock tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation.

"[Mayock] was like, 'I'm cool, I understand your displeasure,'" the source said. "[Mayock] sort of just like ... just walked away because he saw it escalate."

The source stressed the confrontation escalated quickly, but it never appeared to be getting physical, and players, including linebacker Vontaze Burfict, attempted to separate Brown from the situation in order to calm him down.

On Friday, Brown issued the apology with team captains "standing with him" and that the team "treated him like a family member" afterward, the source said.

Poland had not been to the World Cup in 52 years.

It's making up for lost time.

Poland is in the driver's seat for a quarterfinal berth next week after beating Russia 79-74 in a second-round opener on Friday in Foshan, China. Adam Waczynski scored 18 points and Mateusz Ponitka added 14 for Poland, which stayed unbeaten at 4-0 and could clinch a quarterfinal spot in a number of ways -- the simplest being a win over Argentina on Sunday.

"It's a great feeling but we don't want to stop,'' Poland guard Lukasz Koszarek said. "We know it'll be more difficult and more difficult, but we don't want to stop.''

Mikhail Kulagin scored a game-high 21 for Russia (2-2), which was eliminated from quarterfinal contention. The Russians play their second-round finale on Sunday against Venezuela.

Poland shot only 36 percent, but went 35-for-38 from the foul line.

Poland led by one with 2:20 left when Ponitka drove the lane, stumbled to the floor under the basket and somehow fired the ball out to Aaron Cel in the left corner as he fell. Cel hit a 3-pointer off the improbable assist, putting Poland up 72-68, and the team kept the lead the rest of the way.

"This is the competitive will, the heart, the toughness of our team -- to find a way and keep competing,'' Poland coach Mike Taylor said.

Taylor said he thinks the run by Poland in this World Cup, the country's first appearance in FIBA's signature event since 1967, will be a spark for growing the game in the country.

"I think it means everything,'' Taylor said. "I think the country can take self-confidence from the performance of these players. We can compete. We can do it.''

Russia led 40-29 late in the half, but Ponitka made a 30-footer to beat the buzzer to end the second quarter and cut Poland's deficit to six going into the break. The Russian lead was still seven late in the third, but Poland ended the game on a 29-17 run.

"It was a very difficult loss,'' Russia guard Vitaly Fridzon said. "We controlled the game. ... Devastating to lose like that. Maybe we lacked some luck.''

Russia coach Sergey Bazarevich said the free-throw disparity -- Russia shot 19, half as many as Poland -- was a major factor.

"If you look at the stats, we were better in everything,'' Bazarevich said. "In every aspect, we were better.''

SERBIA 90, PUERTO RICO 47

At Wuhan, Serbia had no trouble with Puerto Rico on the way to remaining unbeaten and moving to the cusp of a quarterfinal berth.

Nemanja Bjelica scored 18 points, Boban Marjanovic scored 16 and Nikola Jokic finished with 14 for Serbia (4-0), which shot 56 percent. David Huertas scored 11 for Puerto Rico, which was held to 27 percent shooting.

"Not a lot to tell,'' Serbia coach Sasha Djordjevic said.

Serbia is shooting 61 percent through four games so far at the World Cup. Jokic (20-for-24) and Marjanovic (19-for-23) are shooting a combined 83 percent.

LATER FRIDAY

Argentina (3-0) vs. Venezuela (2-1); Spain (3-0) vs. Italy (2-1)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

United States (3-0) vs. Greece (2-1); France (3-0) vs. Lithuania (2-1); Brazil (3-0) vs. Czech Republic (2-1); Australia (3-0) vs. Dominican Republic (2-1)

OLYMPICS UPDATE

FIBA confirmed that Australia is the second team to clinch a spot in next year's Tokyo Olympics by being the top World Cup finisher from the Oceania region. Japan and Australia are now in the 12-team field. Another six spots will be decided by the end of this World Cup.

CLASSIFICATION ROUND

Nigeria (2-2) 83, Ivory Coast (0-4) 66

Iran (1-3) 71, Angola (1-3) 62

China (1-2) vs. South Korea (0-3); Tunisia (1-2) vs. Philippines (0-3)

SATURDAY

New Zealand (1-2) vs. Japan (0-3); Canada (1-2) vs. Jordan (0-3); Turkey (1-2) vs. Montenegro (0-3); Germany (1-2) vs. Senegal (0-3)